Dionysus and Eros
by Freelance Muse
Summary: Dionysus visits Eros on Apollo's behalf just after the incident with Daphne. In my imaginings, Dionysus must live on Olympus wihle it isn't growing season and in spring and summer he abides on Earth among vintners, vines, Maenads and other mortals.


**Dionysus visits Eros**

Dionysus was thinking as he walked through the Olympian streets. He perceived that the sun's light upon the Earth was diffuse, the winds whispered that they had called forth clouds that obscured the very face of Gaia. 'It must be a favor to Apollo, because of that nymph who denied him. But still he praises her newfound form. He will make the laurel a treasure among trees. Poor Apollo, that his eyes still pierce the shroud he requested because his vision is fated to be unfailing.' He thought he might visit Aphrodite and her son to see if they might treat Phoebus with more kindness, because he could only see woe as far as loves of the Pythian god went.

He visited the airy abode of Aphrodite, where she dwelled when not with Hephaestos, which he knew to be the favored resting place of Eros. It was furnished with ornately gilded couches, intimate pools, fountains, and accompanying benches, and a heady ambrosial smell permeated the air. Divine splendor, shot through with undeniable seduction. Beauty crafted by Hephaestos for his beloved.

Dionysus lingered in the doorway, admiring appearance of the downy godling, who forever retained the appearance of a boy. His hair was long and golden, his features soft just like those of his mother; he was a beautiful youth as opposed to a handsome one. Eros was fashioning and polishing his arrows, then sorting them with care. He stopped midway through preparing the golden one he was dipping into the ethereal love elixir, set it down, stood, turned, and smiled at Dionysus who had not yet revealed himself. "Bacchus, what brings you calling?" At times, the wine god noticed, Eros looked like mischief, but a cruel sort, unlike that of Hermes, the kind that toyed with hearts and twisted fates. He did enjoy Dionysus' company though he spited the wine-god some small part for being so difficult to rouse to frustration.

Dionysus smiled his intoxicating smile and spoke flatteringly with his honeyed tone to Eros, causing the love god to feel effects like unto those he created, "I came that I might look upon your lovely face, and ask you for some grace, by the name of your most beautiful mother." Love could be stoked by flattery, Dionysus knew, and he knew that it would serve to let Eros feel all the more control in the encounter, which was not far from the truth, but though entirely accurate. Dionysus was never without his wiles.

"I am sure that I can aid you Dionysus, though what need you have of me I cannot guess, you are hardly resistible, smoother than milk and honey, in manner and face." Eros paused, thinking, furrowing his thin golden brow, "It must be a challenge indeed if you require my help!" He moved closer to the wine god, smirking, unwary, reacting involuntarily to Dionysus' inviting demeanor.

Dionysus smiled and reached out to brush into place a lock of Eros' hair. "It is a challenge indeed," Dionysus continued smiling, pleading gently with his golden brown eyes, "I would ask you to lessen Apollo's lonely burden by allowing him one great love which is not doomed to fail."

Eros pulled away and scoffed. "That pompous shining sack of heat insulted me and never apologized, for he thinks he is stronger than anyone else-" The anger he felt for Apollo almost entrely broke Dionysus' spell, but beneath the rush of anger, there was a muted lingering desire, a regret at losing the warmth they had shared moments before. The very feeling which encourages mortals to drink beyond their fill…

Dionysus continued to coo, not betraying any upset, for his plan was not failing, despite the feelings of Eros. "He does that which can be done by no one else, have you ever witnessed the difficulty of steering Helios through the Milky Way, considered the heights and depths which he must traverse with a such a team, spirited and fiery as the sun himself?"

"He will get nothing from me," Eros shook his head, his eyes flashing a color close to purple. He took Dionysus' hand and enclosed it in his own, crushing it with a grip caused by more than carelessness. "His words have haunted me since I was a child, true though it was that I shall never reach his stature."

Dionysus eyes burned too like coals, but the threat there was veiled, he did not like being so treated, but withstood it so as to keep the peace, Olympus was no place for chaos so early in his stay. It was only late Autumn and he been there for only a few days. He slid his hand out of Eros' grip with the force and speed of lightning. "Then perhaps it is true that love and pain are hopelessly entwined like my vines on their arbors." He looked at his hand, then folded it behind his back, gently inside the other, withdrawing his presence slowly as he would withdraw himself from the house. "Thank you for your time anyway Eros. Perhaps I will be back to visit soon."

Eros turned and pouted, "And perhaps next time I will not be so hospitable."

"Good evening. Perhaps in time you will help Apollo without meaning to, and you will not be angry any longer, but will find yourself carefree as you should be."

"And perhaps I won't let you leave just yet, perhaps I want your company as Hades does." When he turned to look for Dionysus, cruelty playing on his face, he had gone. Eros stamped his foot in frustration before he noticed that by the door stood an intricately wrought amphora filled with wine so fragrant that he was drawn across the room, and had started drinking it before he had time to give it a thought. He lifted the large vessel and drank from it directly.

Dionysus took his stolen arrow, the one Eros had not quite finished, and headed toward the road Apollo took home from his stables past the west, and thence to Phoebus' palace. He arrived some time before dark and made himself comfortable. The arrow was in wrapped in a fine purple cloth at the foot of Dionysus' chair. He smiled knowing that Eros would not even notice the arrow, musing that by now he should be halfway through the potent wine. 'I dare not guess what unlikely pairings this mischief of mine will unleash upon the world once Eros takes his quiver and hurls its contents drunkenly upon the world.' He smiled, he could always ease those pains later.


End file.
